For more information: David Clohessy (314-566-9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com)

Victims blast archbishop: Come clean about priest

He knew about banned cleric, sex abuse allegations

LA lawyers even called and warned him, but

Archbishop told San Francisco cleric had "good standing"

Come clean, protect kids, SNAP says

Victims of child sex abuse are asking why the Guam Archbishop ignored warnings about a predator priest and kept the priest in active and prominent ministry. They are also demanding direct action to prevent future abuse and cover-ups.

Members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), the nation's largest support group for men and women abused in religious and institutional settings, are questioning why Hagatna Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron allowed Fr. John H. Wadeson to remain in ministry after allegations of sex abuse against him became well known.

According to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Wadeson has been accused of abuse by two children in the 1970 and has been banned from acting as a priest there.

Members of SNAP are blasting Apuron's reckless behavior and demanding concrete action.

"How can Apuron claim to be a good and pastoral shepherd to his flock when he knowingly allowed a known predator to have a position of great power?" said Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, SNAP Volunteer Western Regional Director. "How many warnings does Apuron need before he takes any action to protect children? It seems he only responds to embarrassment."

The group says that Apuron must release the names of all accused clerics who have worked in the Archdiocese, turn over priest files to police and prosecutors, and reach out to all parishes, urging victims to report abuse to the police, not the archdiocese.

Wadeson's current whereabouts are unknown.

"Apuron also needs to take responsibility for cutting Wadeson loose. We have no idea where Wadeson is and communities can't be warned. Instead of using the pulpit to minimize Wadeson's crimes, Apuron needs to use it to promote public safety and protect children."

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Barbara Blaine, founder of SNAP, passed away on Sunday, September 24th, 2017. Her dying was sudden and completely unexpected. Words cannot express our sorrow nor are there words to express our gratitude for her relentless advocacy. She truly was a hero. There is an old saying, “well behaved women seldom make history”. Barbara made history and the world is a better place.

Join SNAP Today

50 State AG Call for Grand Jury

Write a letter to the attorney general of your state. Demand, request, and beg them to impanel a grand jury.

Any investigation must be:

independent of and separate from the church

must have subpoena powers and ability to compel testimony under oath

Anything short of these criteria is a sham and whitewash.

In addition, write letters to the editor, make phone calls to politicians as they can apply pressure to keep them responsive to our demand. We need to make efforts to ensure that they follow up on what the state is doing to investigate these crimes.

The Attorneys General of forty states have inquired about the grand jury process in Pennsylvania. Let's get statewide investigations going in fifty states.

Note to Letter Writers

Use your own words and style of writing. Cut and paste from the templates as you wish. Include your experiences, whether as a survivor or as a member of the community. And relate your letter to the state you were abused in or state now living in.